Ansel merrell



UNITED sTATEs vraTnnT oFFTcE.

ANSEL MERRELL, OF NEW BEDFORD; MASSACHUSETTS; VASSIGNOR TO` J'NO. M. IRVINE AND A. MERRELL.

MACHINE Fore'. niznssanlreA sPoKEs.

l Speccation of Letters lEatent No. 1(2),50'7',l datedFebruary 7, 1854;

To all 'wh-0m t may concern Be it known that I, ANsEL MERRELL, of New Bedford, in the county of Lawrence and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Dressing Vooden Spokes, vof which the following is a full, clear, and exact "description, reference being hadto Athe accompanying drawings,.which form part of this specification, and in which-f Figure 1 represents a top view of my improved spoke dressing machine; Fig. 2 a vertical longitudinal section taken at the line of Fig. l; Fig. 3 a vertical transverse section at the line ai of Fig. l, showing the position of the\ carriage with respect to the risers adjacentto the rails for elevating the carriage to give the point of the spoke the proper taper; Fig. 4 a similar view, but showing t-he risers clear ofthe carriage and the latter rest-ing upon the indented portion of the rails to produce a protuberance on the spoke; Fig. 5 a view in perspective of a combined clamp and dog for holding the end of .the spoke; Fig. 6 a similar view of a gripping lever for holding the middle o-f the spoke, rand Fig. 7, a similar view of a cam to support the spoke at the proper elevation.

As the strength of a wheel depends in a great measure upon the proper and regular form of its spokes, numerous attempts have been made to construct machines for cutting and shaping wooden spokes, and for the purpose of expediting the formation of them; but most or all of these machines have been more or less defective in the devices for holding and shaping the spokes, as well as in giving them that neaty and regular finish which it is necessary for them to have.

To remove these defects, and to construct a machine capable of dressing spokes of various sizes and shapes of a regular taper, and with a neat finish is the object of my invention.

In the machine represented in the accompanying drawings the piece of wood from which the spoke is to be made'is seated at either end on a cam prop (a) connected with a sliding carriage or frame (A). This sliding carriage serves to convey the piece of wood under a rotary cylinder (B), of cutting knives which dress and form the spoke as will presently be described.

The sliding carriage travels on rails or ways (5` andv 0), secured tothe top of. a suitable frame, it is furnished with bearings that span the rails'and serve v`to guide it in asti-aight course under the. rotary cutter;

springs (cl), are attached to theframeof the machine in a course or line vunder the rotary cutter; these springs vembrace a rib (e), along either side of thev carriage for the purpose of lkeeping the. carriage steady on the rails (b and* c), and* to prevent it from being liftedV by the action of the cutters; these springs may be adjusted'by means of set screws or otherwise.v These springs yield sufHciently to allow the carriageto rise and'fall as required tov conform to the curvatures ofv the rail. The, cam supports (a) have their bearings in boxes (f), and arevso arranged and fitted thatv they may be adjustedfor the purpose of accommodating different sizes of spokes, and may be swiveled or slightly turned to adj ustY them to inequali. ties in the rough'stick. These kcam supports are turned and set to the required pitch so as to elevate one end of the stick for the purpose of increasing* the taper in thespoke.

These supports have a iiange on one side or end against whichv the piecel of wood is placed :v the forward cam is connected with al slide in the carriage sothat it'r may slide and set at any required dist-ance from the back stationary support to suit various lengths of spokes. A clawed dog (2'), project-s upward from the slide in advance of the forward cam. This clawed dog'serves to stick into o ne end of the stick and 'hold it steady on the supports. The piece of wood is forced up against the dog, and also held at its opposite end by a cam lever (la) ,fthe cam of this 'lever has a screw thread (Z), on its edge inclining' downward from the short to the long radius of the cam. This screw thread .serves to cut intorthe .endl of the piece of wood for the purpose of holding the back end of the spoke in thefmanner of a dog, and also to press it down firmly upon the supports to prevent it from jumping or springing up during the cut. By this com* bination and arrangement of the clawed sliding dog and the screw threaded cam lever claws projecting from it, so that on turning the lever the claws stick into either side of the stick and hold it firmly. The knives of the rotary cutter head (D) are, in shape, the counterpartof the sides of the spoke which they are required to dress; the spindle or shaft which carries the cutter headV is adjustable lengthwise for the purpose of setting the knives truly over the spoke.

Rotary motion is communicated to the cutterhead inthe direction indicated by arrow (fr), by pulleys and belts, or in any other suitable manner. The posts (n), which support the rotary cutter head shaft, and its adjusting devices are fitted to the frame of the machine so that theymay be raised or lowered to vary the distance of the knives from the carriage to adapt them to dressing spokes of diii'erent sizes.

A shield (o), is attached to a brace connecting the two posts (n), to prevent the chips made by the knives from striking the attendant. The piece of wood for a spoke being seated and gripped as described on the Vcam supports, its rear end inclining up ward, the carriage is pushedalong the rails under the cutters, which have previously been set in motion so as to cause the knives to round and taper one side of they spoke, the cut being increased in depth as the carriage approaches the forward extremity of its range of motion by `rising guides (r), that project above the rails (b), upon which the carriage mounts to give the requisite shape and reduction of the spoke near and at its. point. The same operation is repeated for the opposite side of the spoke. The rising guides (r), are attached to slides which admit of the risers being set to one side and clear of the bearings of the carriage, and the rails `(b), are gradually indented or reduced at their front ends, so that by only forming the edges of the spoke as described for a portion of its length and afterwards reversing its position on the cam supports and sliding the risers Clear of the carriage, the heels of the carriage when brought up to the indentations in thev rails will drop and by gradually lowering the spoke cause the knives to give the usual enlargement to the lpflgke at their shoulder where they meet the u nected with the carriage and passing over a pulley (s), serves to draw the carriage back after the cut has been completed Thus it will be seen that by the adjusting and'gripping arrangements provided a spoke of any desired Vdimensions and Y taper may be dressed.

What I claim as new and useful, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is The vcombination o-f the cam lever having a screw thread thereon, with the adjustable dogs and supports as herein set forth where-` by the rough stick or block may be held firmly at any required angleto the carriage, and at a variable distance below the knives in order that it ma dress spokes of variable taper, and of di erent lengths and thicknesses.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

` ANSEL MERRELL. Witnesses:

A. W. ROGERS, WM. PORTER.

A weight attached to a strap con- 

